Dr Ram Mohan has been recognised as the Volunteer of the Year at the 2026 Multicultural Queensland Awards, highlighting more than 15 years of service, mentorship and community leadership across the state. The honour was presented at a ceremony at the Logan Entertainment Centre on 28 August as part of Multicultural Queensland Month.
The annual awards recognise individuals and organisations whose efforts strengthen relationships between people from different cultural backgrounds and contribute to more connected communities. This year’s recipients were selected across seven categories, with Dr Mohan receiving the top honour in the volunteering category for his sustained contribution to Queensland’s multicultural landscape.
According to the Queensland Government, Dr Mohan has spent more than a decade and a half supporting culturally diverse communities through mentoring, leadership and practical community service. His work has included helping people through difficult periods, including times of grief and uncertainty, while encouraging greater participation in civic, cultural and sporting activities.
His contribution has extended beyond community volunteering into several professional fields. Dr Mohan has built a career spanning academia, business, media and public service, while continuing to dedicate time to community initiatives. The Queensland Government highlighted his integrity, collaborative approach and ability to bring people together as important elements of his contribution.
Dr Mohan has also played a role in major multicultural events and community initiatives. His work has included establishing news organisations and a podcast studio, as well as helping deliver the Cultural Fashion Showcase, creating platforms through which culturally diverse communities can share their stories, traditions and contributions with wider Queensland audiences.
His community engagement has also been particularly visible through major sporting occasions. The Queensland Government noted his involvement in mobilising communities during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026, an effort that previously earned him a Community Champion Award. The recognition reflected his ability to bring people together through sport and shared community experiences.
The award also carries significance for Queensland’s Indian community, where Dr Mohan has been involved in community leadership and initiatives supporting Indian-Australian participation in public and cultural life. His recognition places the contribution of an Indian-Australian community figure among the state’s highest-profile multicultural honours for 2026.
Dr Mohan was one of seven principal recipients recognised at this year’s ceremony. Mary Ngarongo Bartlett-Johnston received the Minister’s Award, while Tautua Group was named Entrepreneur of the Year. Saba Abraham OAM received the Women’s Economic Empowerment Award, and Belong in Hockey from the Toowoomba Hockey Association won the Social Cohesion and Community Impact Project of the Year.
LatinOz Queensland was recognised as the Grassroots Not-for-Profit Organisation, while Janeth Deen OAM received the Lifetime Achiever Award for more than five decades of service focused on intercultural understanding, social cohesion and community wellbeing. A further 12 nominees were recognised as highly commended across the award categories.
The awards formed part of Queensland’s Multicultural Month, which provides an opportunity to recognise the contribution of culturally diverse communities throughout the state. The 2026 ceremony celebrated people working across volunteering, business, community development, social cohesion and cultural engagement.
For Dr Mohan, the Volunteer of the Year recognition reflects a long-running commitment rather than a single project. His work has combined community service with professional experience, allowing him to contribute across different sectors while developing relationships between community groups, institutions and individuals from diverse backgrounds.
The Queensland Government described this year’s field of nominees as exceptionally strong, with the awards highlighting the breadth of multicultural leadership across the state. Dr Mohan’s recognition demonstrates how sustained volunteering, mentorship and community participation can have an impact well beyond individual initiatives and help strengthen Queensland’s increasingly diverse society.
As Queensland continues to grow as one of Australia’s most culturally diverse states, community leaders such as Dr Mohan play an important role in creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds to participate, connect and contribute. His 2026 award places that work in the spotlight while recognising the wider network of volunteers supporting multicultural communities across Queensland.
